Analysis Of Calvin's Knowledge Of God

991 Words2 Pages

Knowledge of God – This is the first section of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559). True wisdom, according to Calvin, consists of two different types of knowledge – the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self. It is only by comparing oneself to God that humans can fully understand their identity. Meaning, after they see the brilliant and overwhelming majesty of God, they begin to understand how despicable they are because God is the standard to which all try to measure up against. The true knowledge of self of human beings entails a conscious recognition of how totally deprived and corrupt they are, and therefore they grasp humility. This is important in the Christian faith. Scripture – Calvin holds the belief that …show more content…

In order for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of Christians to be a reality, however, Christians must not be outside of Christ. This means that they must have faith before they can receive the Holy Spirit. One could consider this appropriate because Christ and the Holy Spirit, aside from the fact that they are of the same substance, share many of the same roles. Both are mediators, teachers, and intercessors. The Holy Spirit alone has many other names, including: fire, water, spirit of adoption, and others. In addition to this, the main work of the Spirit is faith, in that the Spirit serves as the Christian’s teacher and reminder of God’s …show more content…

This stems from Calvin’s belief that Christians do not belong to themselves, but to God. In devoting themselves fully to God and his will, Christians should not and cannot be concerned with worldly desires that would boost their own sense of glory. This kind of humility is required so that Christians may treat others with a sincere attitude of love and selflessness. After all, Calvin says, every good gift comes from God and he lavishes them on whomever he pleases. Therefore, Christians are to look at others and recognize the image of God in them and see the gifts that they have to offer before being tempted to regard them as less important than

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Peasant Fires By Richard Wunderli

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Martin Luther’s Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther describes what he believes should be the relationship between faith and good works in the life of Christian people. His beliefs became integral to the Protestant and Lutheran ideologies. The basis of Luther’s pamphlet was “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” (31) This central thought provides readers dialogue on what is truly a selfless, act and if these acts do in fact have an effect on one’s

    Read More

  • The Holy Ghost People: Film Analysis

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the film “The Holy Ghost People,” right away we get individual accounts of what the “Holy Spirit” is to certain individuals. One woman says the Holy Ghost guides her and keeps her going. The people are very intense about their beliefs, which comes from the religion Pentecostalism, which has a hyper focus on personal experience with God and baptism with the Holy Spirit. We see them in their church, we hear the sermon, and see the ritualistic dances and the way the prayer overcomes them, and causes seizure like motions. We see and hear the prayers for the healing of one woman’s eyesight, and another woman’s back pain. One man, seemingly the pastor, says that “if God is not doing what they ask, people aren’t believing hard enough.” Later we get an account from a woman of how she was nursed back to health as a little girl brought her nutrients, and she believes it was

    Read More

  • Calvinism Dbq

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the period between 1500 and 1700 different Protestant ideals and religions such as the views of Luther, Henry VIII, and Calvinism reflected varying degrees of closeness between church and state. Luther's views of the state being above the church represented a distance between the church and state that many other Protestant religions at the time did not have. Henry VI and Calvinism on the other hand, intertwined the church and state so that their relationship was much closer. Calvinism went much further than just intertwining church and state though; it became a complete combination: the church working as state.

    Read More

  • Julian Of Norwich Essay

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Julian of Norwich praises God because he is good in every way and he loves absolutely everything and she explains how he is everything that we find comforting in our lives. Julian of Norwich states, “At the same time, our Lord showed me a spiritual vision of his familiar love. I saw that for us he is everything that we find good and comforting. He is our clothing, wrapping us for love, embracing and enclosing us for tender love, so that he can never leave us, being himself everything that is good for us, as I understand it” (40). Julian of Norwich describes God as a very loving and generous God. Julian of Norwich idolizes God and tells us that God will never leave us and he will always love us no matter what the circumstances may be. Julian of Norwich explains how there are three properties that she got from her vision. She states, “… the first is that God made it, the second is that God loves it, the third is that God cares for it. But what the maker, the carer and the lover really is to me, I cannot tell; for until I become one substance with him, I an never have complete rest or true happiness; that is to say, until I am so bound to him that there is no created thing between my God and me” (40). Julian of Norwich

    Read More

  • Contradictions In The Puritan Religion

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    beliefs of John Calvin, and one of the major ideals they focused on was the

    Read More

  • John Calvin's Argument Analysis

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    In I.17.1 of John Calvin’s work, Calvin argues that people do not need to worry about anything they do not understand because God takes care of everything. It is important to understand that this is not the beginning of Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion, because his points in chapter sixteen set the basis for his argument in this next section. Chapter sixteen on providence gives the foundation of

    Read More

  • John Calvin's Doctrine Of The Christian Life

    119 Words  | 1 Pages

    Calvin’s devout interest in theology was practical. He regarded theology as a practical science. The original purpose of his Institutes was to provide a handbook which would be an aid to piety. The true task of theology was not to give answers to speculative questions, but to contribute to the edification of Christians. So, in his book John Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life, author John H. Leith writes, “The conduct of the Christian, not verbal assent to doctrine and ceremony, is the decisive test of religious convictions” (26). Heith continues, “The Geneva Catechism opened with the question, What is the chief end of human life? The answer to this question was the burning mission of Calvin’s whole theology.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Karl Marx and Max Weber

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    Calvinism is a simple way of life in which you are to do good for others. The way into heaven was to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The. Work is done not for one’s own personal gain, but for the sake of God.

    Read More

  • The Definition Of Faith In John Calvin's The Basic

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God.” This passage demonstrates that God has fulfilled his promise to those who believe in Christ. Those who believe in Christ is revealed by the word of the Holy Spirit, which is the third persons of the Trinity. Calvin based his definition of faith through understanding the Trinitarian. I believe that Calvin conclusion regarding the nature of faith is valid. He explained that faith involves in a person’s heart and mind, which transformed us internally. Calvin also stated, “Faith is not human insight; it is personal knowledge of God made possible by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the one who helps us understand God’s love and desire to seek Him. Calvin pointed out that we have also to believe with our “heart” and not just with our mind. I think it means that we cannot just say that God exists without trusting in his love and promises. Overall, I believe that Calvin definition of faith is adamant and

    Read More

  • Compare and Contrast Religion during Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and World at War

    1402 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther inspired another thinker of the time that questioned the Church’s beliefs. That man was John Calvin. The Catholic belief during the Renaissance and Reformation was that one’s good deeds hel...

    Read More

  • John Calvin on God's Divine Providence

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    In John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion he spends a great deal of time expounding his doctrine of God's Divine providence in all of creation. He explains not only how God continually governs the laws of nature, but also how God governs man's actions and intentions to bring about His own Divine Will. Calvin believes that God's providence is so encompassing in creation that even a man's own actions, in many ways, are decreed by God. Because of this belief there arises the question, "Does Calvin leave room for the free will of man?"

    Read More

  • John Calvin's Teachings

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Calvin seems to present predestination not as an impending and sorrowful truth, but rather as a core component of the gospel itself. His belief in predestination is the culmination of the doctrine of sola gratis. Calvin is determined to contend that salvation begins not with faith, as Luther believed, but with election. Calvin refers to election as the “parent of faith” as Paul also declared. Calvin goes much deeper than Paul.

    Read More

  • Church Reform Essay

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    This ideology greatly differs from Luther, Carlstadt, and Zwingli, as their beliefs were that by faith alone salvation could be obtained, where no mention of predestination is referred. However, though Calvin’s predestination theory was widely dissimilar than Luther, Carlstadt, and Zwingli, his view of people not being able gain salvation by deeds done in the temporal world are reaffirmed in his writings are reform doctrine (The European Sourcebook, 165-167). Calvin’s goal was in efforts to control the morals normed by scripture and to condemn anything remotely considered blasphemy or Catholic in their origin. Calvinism has been considered closely related to Puritanism given that Calvin ideology was to repress lewd or indecent human behavior inevitably calling for proper less freeing behavior. Despite Calvin’s strict regulations of social and behavioral norm accepted Calvin appealed to helping people socially that later would equate to a Godly

    Read More

  • Calvinism

    1927 Words  | 4 Pages

    The central assertion of Calvinism canons is that God is able to save from the tyranny of sin, from guilt and the fear of death, every one of those upon whom he is willing to have mercy. God is not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of men because it is the unrighteous and the helpless that he intends to save. In Calvinism man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that, which is good and well pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. This concept of free choice makes Calvinism to stand supreme among all the religious systems of the world. The great men of our country often were members of Calvinist Church. We had the number of Presbyterian presidents, legislators, jurists, authors, editors, teachers and businessmen. The revolutionary principles of republican liberty and self-government, taught and embodied in ...

    Read More

  • Holiness Essay

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    When one fully gives himself to God, but has not receive the Holy Spirit, he must just keep trusting God that His word is true and that He will do the work. Also one can expect temptation just like Jesus did. When the Holy Spirit comes, He does not leave quickly. When one seeks the Holy Spirit when He is already there, it grieves Him. One should be prayerfully watchful and seek to be an open channel instead of seeking for more power.3

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Calvin's Knowledge Of God

Open Document